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is civitavecchia worth exploring?

Hi All,
Four of us will be in Rome -- then travel by car to Tuscany.
My friends want to drive the coast from Rome to Civitavecchia to "see the sea"
and then on to Siena.
I want to drive through Orvieto and Montepulciano.
Is the coast drive worthwhile?
Is the coast line from Rome to Civitavecchia stunning?
Any help is appreciated!!
Sandra

I'm back and forth between here (US) and Civitavecchia all the time.(whole family lives there) It is a beautiful little city and the sea is amazing. However, when you are going really depends on how worth while it will be because during the more chilly times of the year, there isnt a whole lot to do. Im sure if you are going, you might want to walk around and maybe do some light shopping and explore a little. These things are of course easier to do when it is warmer. Civitavecchia is very small and is Rome's port city. The beach is absolutely beautiful and you will find that it is very much a beach town. If you are planning to go in the summer I would say it is definetely worth it, but then again...Orvieto may be worth it too. I've never been to Orvieto so I guess it really depends on your preferences. Fodorities here on this board have all heard of Civitavecchia and I'm sure many have even visited, but among people who arent very familiar with Italy, especially the Rome area, and even people who are Italy experts, many, many, many people have never even heard of Civitavecchia. It is so small. You will get a lot more feedback on Orvieto because it is much more well known and visited. If you could fit both Orvieto and Civitavecchia into your itinerary, I would opt to do both, but I dont know how much time you are playing with...I love Civitavecchia, and the beach and sea there are breathtaking....as well as the palm trees...However, the most breath taking sea views in Italy are in Positano and along Napoli...but if you arent going there, yes I would at least take a small visit into civitavecchia...Give me some more information on your trip and maybe I could give you some more feedback.

Thank you Lorena and Ira. Ira, I would plan to stop for at least a short time at Orvieto and Montepulciano.

We will be leaving Rome April 10 between 9-10 am for our drive up to Siena.We are spending 4 days at a b+b south of San Gimignano.
I think we have time to stop in both Orvieto and Montepulciano to enjoy the countryside.
Don't know if there's time to see Civitavecchia, Orvieto and Montepulciano in one day before it gets too dark to drive!
Thank you for your kind replies.
Sandra